Weekend Results
Leinster 36 – 7 Bulls
URC Grand Final, Croke Park. Back-to-back titles. James Lowe's farewell. Prendergast named player of the match.
Northampton Saints 26 – 17 Exeter Chiefs
Premiership Final, Twickenham. Hendy double in the final quarter. Saints' third title. Pollock named player of the match.
Hurricanes 60 – 5 Chiefs
Super Rugby Pacific Grand Final, Wellington. Record winning margin in a decider. Love named player of the final.
Toulouse 71 – 17 Racing 92
Top 14 semi-final, Marseille. Record semi-final scoreline. Dupont returns. Toulouse into a fourth straight final.
Montpellier 25 – 15 Stade Francais Paris
Top 14 semi-final, Marseille. Miotti's 17 points decisive. Montpellier's first final since 2022.
Chicago Hounds 35 – 17 California Legion
MLR Championship Final, Bridgeview. Hounds complete the first undefeated season in league history.
URC Final: Leinster Go Back-to-Back
Leinster 36-7 Bulls: A repeat of last year's final delivered an even more emphatic outcome at Croke Park. Tommy O'Brien opened the scoring after six minutes when Handre Pollard's dropped pass was snatched up and run in from halfway. Rieko Ioane added a second after Jamison Gibson-Park's quick lineout created space, and with Willie le Roux sin-binned for a deliberate knock-on, Jack Conan extended the lead to 19-0 before the half-hour. Leinster led 22-0 at the break. Sam Prendergast scored early in the second half to make it 29-0 before the Bulls finally responded through Canan Moodie, who was shown a yellow card of his own for an earlier infringement. A Ruan Nortje try was disallowed by the TMO for a forward pass, killing any hope of a Bulls comeback, and Harry Byrne's late try sealed Leinster's tenth URC title. Sam Prendergast was named player of the match.
LIPPY'S VIEW
It was a fitting farewell for James Lowe, who bowed out in his final appearance for the province he served for nine years before his move to Tokyo Sungoliath. The Bulls have now lost four URC finals in five years, all of them at Croke Park.
Premiership Final: Saints Come from Behind
Northampton Saints 26-17 Exeter Chiefs: Northampton made the perfect start at Allianz Stadium, Tommy Freeman pouncing on a loose ball inside two minutes after Exeter's Immanuel Feyi-Waboso collided with teammate Olly Woodburn attempting to claim a kick. Exeter, who had stunned defending champions Bath in their semi-final, lost hooker Max Norey early to an ankle injury but responded through Campbell Ridl, Josh Iosefa-Scott, and captain Dafydd Jenkins to lead 17-14. Fin Smith's try edged Northampton back in front before George Hendy struck twice in the space of three minutes, the second created by a Smith grubber kick, to seal a 26-17 win and Northampton's third Premiership title. Henry Pollock, 21, was named player of the match, the youngest player to receive the honour in a Premiership final.
LIPPY'S VIEW
What an amazing atmosphere, with Twickenham absolutely packed. A great reflection on the strength and marketability of the Prem. Henry Pollock's work rate was world-class in everything he did, and I have to say I called his player of the match award before it was announced, the youngest winner ever at 21 years old.
Exeter lost their hooker at eight minutes. The replacement, Springbok Joseph Dweba, who came on for him, is notoriously a poor lineout thrower, so lineouts became a coin toss. Worth watching the impact of scrumhalf Archie McParland going off and Alex Mitchell coming back after being out injured for so long. There were some nervy knock-ons early in the game which could have been a try apiece. Exeter's attack was very static, with no depth or pace, but their defense was strong for most of the match. It was smart of Northampton to keep the Chiefs back in their own 22 and let them try to hit their own lineouts, as they had a reasonable chance of getting the ball back in the red zone.
The second-half change in props for Exeter made a big difference, similar to what we saw in the Bath game. Exeter turned the game into a junkyard scrap, which was perfect against Northampton to stop them getting into their running game rhythm. Northampton hung on well to take advantage of Dafydd Jenkins' yellow card and wore Exeter down with their own game. Exeter were clearly tiring in the last 13 minutes. With all that has been said about Northampton's attack, it was their defense that won them the game. Best team won.
Super Rugby Pacific Final: Hurricanes End the Drought in Record Style
Hurricanes 60-5 Chiefs: The Hurricanes delivered arguably the greatest Grand Final performance in Super Rugby history at a sold-out Hnry Stadium. Josh Moorby opened the scoring in the sixth minute, then Ruben Love, Fehi Fineanganofo, and Callum Harkin all crossed before the break to put the Hurricanes 29-0 up at half-time, the biggest interval lead in any Super Rugby final. The avalanche continued after the break. Fineanganofo and Moorby both finished the season as the competition's all-time record holders for tries in a single campaign with 17 apiece. The Chiefs avoided the indignity of being held scoreless through Naitoa Ah Kuoi's late try, but Jone Rova's score in the final minute completed a 60-5 rout, the biggest winning margin in Super Rugby final history, surpassing the Bulls' 61-17 win over the Chiefs in 2009. Ruben Love, who finished with 25 points, was named Player of the Final. It is the Hurricanes' first title in a decade and only their second in franchise history.
LIPPY'S VIEW
Fourth final in a row for the Chiefs. Josh Moorby kept putting his hand up for an All Blacks spot, tying the record for most tries in a Super Rugby season at 17 tries. This was literally like a final All Blacks trial. The weather was brutal, gale force winds, and it was amazing how both teams were able to play ball-in-hand rugby in those conditions. The key was being able to hang in there until the second half, with the Chiefs playing into the wind in the first.
Jordie Barrett was carving it up. The Hurricanes set the record for most points and most tries in a Super Rugby season, a true point-scoring machine. There was a strange call by referee Rick Berry, with Warner Dearns deliberately batting a ball down and no penalty given, no yellow, with the explanation that it has to be a volleyball spike. No consistency, and I have never seen that call before. A bad call, but it really did not make a difference on the outcome of the game. The Hurricanes were 27-0 up at half-time, the biggest half-time lead in Super Rugby final history, so the Chiefs then needed to find a way to use the wind advantage to make up the difference.
Ruben Love's goal kicking was unbelievable in those conditions, and he has stamped his claim as the starting All Blacks flyhalf. Then Moorby tied the season try record, so it basically became a race between the two Hurricanes wings for who would break it. The Chiefs simply had too many turnovers. There is no question that Asafo Aumua is the best hooker in New Zealand, an absolute bowling ball. The Hurricanes did not skip a beat in the second half and just kept the foot on the pedal with no regard for the conditions. Amazing. The Chiefs ran into a buzz saw. The best way to describe the Hurricanes' performance is ruthless. You should just give the whole team All Blacks jerseys and keep the band together, because I cannot see how an All Blacks team would be any better.
A night of records. The biggest Super Rugby finals win ever. Peter Lakai was brilliant and stamped his claim for a starting spot with the All Blacks. No team has ever been held scoreless in a final, and the Chiefs managed to avert that dubious distinction with a try in the 74th minute. What an entertaining game!
Top 14 Semi-Finals: Toulouse and Montpellier Through to the Final
Toulouse 71-17 Racing 92: Toulouse produced a record-breaking semi-final performance at the Orange Velodrome, scoring 10 tries to set the highest team total in Top 14 play-off history. Antoine Dupont returned from a groin injury that had kept him out for over a month and was at his influential best. Racing led briefly through an early Antoine Gibert penalty and a Teddy Thomas try, but Toulouse responded with nine unanswered tries before Racing got back on the scoreboard through Jordan Joseph in the 71st minute. Max Spring added a late consolation try for the Parisians. Toulouse advance to a fourth consecutive Top 14 final, bidding to become the first club in the professional era to win four titles in a row.
Montpellier 25-15 Stade Francais Paris: A far tighter contest at the same venue a day later. Stade Francais led 15-10 after the opening quarter through tries from Tawera Kerr-Barlow and Peniasi Dakuwaqa, but Montpellier's Domingo Miotti, who kicked 17 points, kept the scoreboard ticking with penalties as the Parisians' discipline faltered. Paul Alo-Emile was sin-binned before half-time for a dangerous clear-out, and Montpellier led 16-15 at the break. A series of further Stade Francais penalties in the second half allowed Miotti and replacement Leo Coly to extend the lead to 25-15, with Stade Francais unable to find a way back despite a disallowed try in the closing stages. Montpellier reach their first Top 14 final since winning the title in 2022.
The final is set: Toulouse vs Montpellier, Saturday June 27, Stade de France.
LIPPY'S VIEW
Toulouse vs Racing: that break and kick pass by Dupont for the try in the corner to Teddy Thomas was absolutely sublime. I have been shouting the praises of Maxime Lucu, as the top scrumhalf in France, but oh my goodness, Antoine Dupont is from another planet. Jack Willis is one of the absolute best loose forwards in the world not playing international rugby, and what a loss it is to not see him on the international stage. Something in the game is broken when a talent like that cannot showcase himself against the absolute best.
Toulouse have now won five of their last six, and three in a row. What a powerhouse of rugby. I suspect they focus primarily on the Top 14 and not the Champions Cup. Huge Emmanuel Meafou is a force to have on any team, and France are lucky to have him. He changes all the calculations that competing teams have to make, and will definitely commit two to three defenders any time he carries. One thing of note is the sheer number of world-class Fijian players now playing in the French league. I think they will be formidable at the next World Cup.
At 69-3 and 56 minutes, Toulouse took Dupont off, and I was thinking they really should have taken Jack Willis off too. Then they actually did at 58 minutes; the coaches must have read my mind:). Blair Kinghorn was playing like his life depended on it even at the 72nd minute with the score at 66-10. The Toulouse experience has made him such a better player and Scotland will reap the rewards. The game was like watching a training run. One wonders what this game would have looked like if Bordeaux had made it through, but they did not even make the top six. There is no international tournament as tough as the Top 14. Teams have to play 29 games to win it, almost like playing two seasons in the most competitive and physical league in the world.
Montpellier vs Stade Francais was a weird game in that even though it was close, with Stade almost tying it in the last 10 minutes through a disallowed try, it never really felt like Montpellier was going to lose. It will be interesting to see how they go against Toulouse. I just do not think they have the across-the-board talent and bite that Toulouse have.
Top 14 Final: Saturday June 27, Stade de France, Saint-Denis
Toulouse
Bidding for a 4th consecutive title
Montpellier
First final since winning in 2022
Major League Rugby Final
Chicago Hounds 35-17 California Legion: The Chicago Hounds defeated the California Legion 35-17 in the 2026 Major League Rugby Championship Final at SeatGeek Stadium. The victory secured the Hounds' first-ever MLR title and marked the first undefeated season (12-0) in league history.
Around the Grounds: What the Pundits Are Saying
Leicester Fainga'anuku ruled out for the rest of the international window: The Crusaders have confirmed that Leicester Fainga'anuku will miss 10 to 12 weeks after sustaining a fibula fracture and high ankle sprain in the Super Rugby Pacific semi-final loss to the Chiefs. The 26-year-old, who had been playing at openside flanker in a hybrid forward-back role this season, exited the match in the 35th minute with the Crusaders already trailing heavily. He does not require surgery, but the timeline rules him out of Dave Rennie's first All Blacks squad for the July Nations Championship tests against France, Italy, and Ireland, and puts him in serious doubt for the start of the South Africa tour in August. Fainga'anuku had been considered a near-certainty for the squad given his rare ability to cover both back row and midfield, with former All Black Stephen Donald specifically citing him last month as a player who gives Rennie flexibility with bench composition. He finishes the 2026 Super Rugby season with seven tries, six try assists, and 23 offloads, tied for the most in the competition, having also been named in the official Team of the Year. It is a significant blow to New Zealand's depth heading into a heavy winter Test schedule.
Springboks open 2026 campaign with rout of the Barbarians: South Africa began their international season with an 80-31 win over an invitational Barbarians side at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha. Edwill van der Merwe scored four tries and Cheslin Kolbe contributed 23 points from the tee as the Springboks ran in 12 tries. Two Barbarians yellow cards in the first half opened the floodgates, with debutants Riley Norton, JJ Kotze, Paul de Villiers, and Vusi Moyo all seeing senior or unofficial action. The match serves as a warm-up for South Africa's Nations Championship tests against England, Scotland, and Wales.
LIPPY'S VIEW
For the first 30 minutes I thought this was going to be a record score against the Barbarians, with a strong Springbok team against what looked like a disjointed Baabaas side down to 13 men. But by the 40th minute the score was 35-26, a nine-point game with some great tries and open rugby. Clearly some defensive alignment cobwebs that the Springboks will iron out. Cheslin Kolbe was mercurial and his goal kicking was impeccable, a class above the rest. Edwill van der Merwe had his hat-trick by the 42nd minute and scored his fourth in the 57th. The Boks fielded five under 20 players, which is forward thinking by Rassie. A very fun rugby extravaganza, and nice to see Faf de Klerk back. Exciting to see the international window start.
Looking Ahead
Saturday June 27: Top 14 final, Toulouse vs Montpellier, Stade de France, Saint-Denis.